Who Was Queen Elizabeth II?
From the 6th of February in 1952 until the 8th of September in 2022, Queen Elizabeth II reigned over the United Kingdom and all of the other Commonwealth realms. She set a new record for longest reign by a female head of state, having ruled for 70 years and more than 200 days. During the course of her reign, she held the position of queen regnant in 32 distinct Sovereign States, and she was the monarch of 15 of those states when she passed away.
Queen Elizabeth II was the first child to be born to the Duke and Duchess of York. She was born in Mayfair, which is located in London. Elizabeth became the legitimate heir to the kingdom after her father succeeded to the throne in 1936 because his brother, King Edward VIII, declined to take the throne.
The queen wed Philip Mountbatten, who had previously held the titles of prince of Greece and Denmark, and the couple remained married for a total of 73 years. They have four children: Charles III; Anne, who is currently the Princess Royal; Prince Andrew, who is currently the Duke of York; and Prince Edward, who is currently the Earl of Wessex.
Her father passed away when she was barely 25 years old, and shortly after that she ascended to the throne as queen of the seven autonomous Commonwealth countries.
10 Quick Facts About Queen Elizabeth II
- Full Name: Elizabeth Alexandra Mary (Princess Elizabeth of York)
- Date of Birth: April 21, 1926
- Place of Birth: London, England
- Date of Coronation: June 2, 1953
- Position: Queen of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms
- Period of Reign: February 6, 1952 – September 8, 2022
- Date of Death: September 8, 2022
- Place of Death: Aberdeenshire, Scotland
- Date of Burial: September 19, 2022
- Place of Burial: Windsor Castle, England
What We Know About Queen Elizabeth’s Early Life
She arrived into the world on April 21st, 1926, under the reign of her grandpa, King George V. Her father was the second son of the King, and her mother, Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, Duchess of York, was the youngest daughter of a Scottish lord named Claude Bowes-Lyon. She was the Duchess of York. Her father was the Duke.
On May 29, the Anglican Archbishop of York presided over the baptism of Queen Elizabeth II in the vestry of Buckingham Palace. The monarch was given the name Elizabeth after her mother.
Princess Margaret, the eldest of Elizabeth’s siblings, was born in 1930, and she and Elizabeth both received their educations at home, supervised by their father.
During the time that her grandfather was monarch of the United Kingdom, Elizabeth was third in line to succeed to the throne.
During the entirety of the Second World War, in the month of September 1939, Lord Hailsham made the suggestion that the princesses relocate to Canada. Despite this, their mother, who was also the queen, did not support the notion. After Christmas, the princesses relocated to Sandringham House in Norfolk from Balmoral Castle, where they had been staying since the beginning of their vacation.
After the end of the second world war, on November 20, 1947, Queen Elizabeth wed Prince Philip at the age of 21. Because inviting German relatives was deemed unacceptable in post-war Britain, Philip was not permitted to extend the invitation.
On November 14, 1948, Elizabeth gave birth to her first child, a son named Charles, and on August 15, 1950, she gave birth to her second child, a daughter named Anne.
What You Should Know About Queen Elizabeth’s Reign
The news of George VI’s passing and Elizabeth’s subsequent succession to the throne with immediate effect reached Elizabeth and Philip on February 6, 1952, when they had just returned home from their tour. George VI had passed away the previous year. She was informed by Philip, and after hearing the news, she decided to keep Elizabeth as her regnal name. Because of this, people started calling her Elizabeth II. Due to the fact that she was the first Elizabeth to govern in Scotland, many Scots were insulted by this decision.
She was proclaimed queen across the entirety of her country, and the royal family made a hasty trip back to the United Kingdom. The spouses established their residences at Buckingham Palace.
By the time Elizabeth became queen in 1952, her position as the leader of numerous sovereign states had already been firmly established. In 1953, the queen and her husband embarked on a trip of the world that would last for seven months and take them to thirteen different nations.
She made history by being the first monarch of either Australia or New Zealand to ever visit those countries. During her reign, she travelled extensively throughout the Commonwealth, paying dozens of state visits to dozens of different countries. She was the head of state with the most trips throughout the world.
The fact that the queen based her selection of the Prime Minister on the recommendations of only a few ministers or a single minister was met with widespread criticism.
During her first trip to the United States, which took place in 1957, the queen addressed the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on behalf of the Commonwealth. However, while she was on that tour, she made history by being the first queen of Canada to start a session of parliament when she presided over the opening of the 23rd Canadian Parliament.
The birth of the queen’s third child, Prince Andrew, took place on February 19, 1960, and the birth of her fourth child, Prince Edward, took place on March 10, 1964.
During her tour of Australia and New Zealand in 1970, she participated in her first walkabout, which gave her the opportunity to meet members of the general public.
The Queen is well-known for the lavish celebrations that she hosted in honour of each of her Jubilees, beginning with her Ruby Jubilee and continuing through her Platinum Jubilee, which took place when she turned 70 years old.
Learn More About Queen Elizabeth’s Beliefs And Stance
There were very few interviews with Elizabeth II, therefore very little information was available regarding her private life. In public venues, she did not give a clear expression of her own personal political ideas.
The queen was known to have a strong sense of civic and religious obligation, and she was known to take the Coronation Oath very seriously. She also served with the National Church of Scotland in addition to her official religious function as Supreme Governor of the Church of England.
The queen was a patron of almost 600 different businesses and charitable organisations.
What Is Queen Elizabeth’s Net Worth?
The total amount of Queen Elizabeth’s wealth exceeds 500 million dollars.
What You Need To Know About Queen Elizabeth’s Death
On September 8, 2022, Queen Elizabeth passed away, bringing an end to a long reign. However, due to the physicians’ concerns, she was placed under the care of a medical professional while she was at Balmoral Castle.
At 18:30 British Summer Time (BST), which is equivalent to 17:30 Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), it was confirmed that she had passed away.
She lived to be 96 years old and ruled for a combined total of 70 years until she passed away.
